


we gather stones, never knowing what they'll mean

by poketa



Category: Glee
Genre: F/F, au college times, misunderstanding but ends up with fluff, quinn and santana actually remain close friends.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:06:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25514008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poketa/pseuds/poketa
Summary: rachel feels left out as she watches them walk out of the apartment towards a nameless club.it's never good to feel like the one walking behind.
Relationships: Rachel Berry/Quinn Fabray
Comments: 7
Kudos: 110





	we gather stones, never knowing what they'll mean

**Author's Note:**

> so, this is a one-shot just because, yup.
> 
> thank you emi for helping me with my grammar and spelling mistakes, ily baby.  
> best beta ever <3
> 
> tw: mentions of drugs consume, nothing too much, just weed.

* * *

"Quinn?"

Rachel steps slowly inside her own apartment and watches with interest as the blonde turns from her spot on the couch, where she's sitting with a confused expression and her mouth set on a straight line in her always beautiful face.

The brunette sheds her coat from her body and hangs it on the coat rack, being careful to support her weight in the wall as she takes off her heels too.

"Hello, Rachel," Quinn greets back with a timid smile, standing from her spot on the couch.

She's wearing a black tea dress paired with long cut black boots that reach above her knee. Her blonde hair in curls and it settles somewhere on Rachel's mind that this is an outfit that you just don't wear for yourself, but _for_ someone else.

"What are you doing here?" the NYADA student still asks as her eyes swipe over the blonde, absorbing everything.

Quinn's expression turns a little, but her smile doesn't waver as she speaks "I'm-" 

"We're going out.”

Quickly, both turn to a third voice that enters the conversation as Santana enters the space and shoots the blonde a look that quickly shuts her up, while Rachel observes with interest the exchange.

"Came all the way here _just_ to party?" Rachel inquires suspiciously, stepping closer to the duo, who seem somehow guarded and secretive around her, which rubs her the wrong way.

She isn't that close with Santana, they may be roommates, not by Rachel's choice, but cohabitation exists, even if they don't get along.

It's not about her roommate, however.

But Quinn and her - they had this - _this_ close friendship during Senior Year of high school that seemed to just completely evaporate once Rachel took her train to New York and the blonde went to Connecticut.

There's a _Metro_ pass that lays there unused at her drawer, but Quinn is only using hers to visit Santana from time to time and Rachel tries to not feel jealous, but _god -_ didn't they say to try a little?

Her and Santana may have been friends for longer than her and Rachel, but it doesn't mean that it hurts less to see them hanging out while she sits alone in the apartment wondering where her friends went.

"New York just has a bigger _scene_ than New Haven," Santana replies with a shrug and something seems to flash on Quinn's hazel eyes as she shoots a look at Santana, who just snickers.

"Yeah, that's right," the blonde complements weakly, raising her brow at her ex-fellow cheerleader, who is grinning from ear to ear in her tight green dress as she stands there beside the couch and Rachel looks her over with an inquisitive gaze.

"Right," Rachel acknowledges, swallowing.

"Ready, bitch?" Santana asks the blonde.

Quinn casts a look at Rachel, but the brunette just dismisses it, walking to the kitchen to prepare herself an herbal tea that can help her distress a little.

The kettle gets settled onto the flame on the stove and Rachel tries to not let her tears touch beyond her eyelids as the sound of the front door being opened and then closed reaches her ears.

She takes a mug out of the top shelf and stevia from the side, but her mind can only concentrate on the sounds of something that didn't happen.

They didn't invite her to go with them.

Not even sipping her tea a little too soon, a few minutes after, hurts as much as the present reminder that she won't ever be the friend that is just left behind, cast to the side, just picked when someone wants something from them.

* * *

It's late in the night when she wakes to strange sounds coming from the living room.

Always a little worried about burglars or worse, drunk neighbors breaking inside her home, Rachel picks up the baseball bat that her Dad gifted her last Christmas.

(For a second, she really thought it was a gag gift concerning her newfound bisexuality and playing for the other team, but then he was kind to explain that he just wanted to give her something to keep herself safe.

Of course, then he said that if she ever wanted to join a softball team, he would fully support her)

Moving the bat up, tightly gripping it with her hands, Rachel walks away from her bed, in direction of the sounds.

The sound of her steps onto the wood of the floor are heavy to her ears, but actually it's more the anxiety of facing whatever or _whoever_ is out there that makes her prepare her best hit as she steps inside the living room.

Just to find Quinn and Santana laying on the couch, looking pretty much ready to pass out.

"You scared the shit outta me, Santana!" Rachel reprimands, poking the leg of the girl with the bat as she shoots her a glare, but the latina only snorts, before cuddling more the arm of the couch. The brunette looks at the blonde, but it seems like Quinn is just as drunk as Santana as she shoots Rachel a lazy grin with her eyes barely open. "What did you two even do?" 

"Fun, that's what we do," Santana replies drunkenly. "Also tons of weed, don't tell Rachel though." 

"I'm Rachel.” 

"Shit - I was supposed to not say.”

"How did you come home?" Rachel inquires with a stern glare, crossing her arms over her chest, after resting the bat against the side of the couch.

"Uberfy! - wait that's not right - Dodi" 

"At least, you got home safe,” Rachel replies rolling her eyes, sitting on the coffee table and shooting them a concerned glare as her eyes search for any injury or alert sign, but they look pretty much clear and safe "Where did you two even go?" she inquires, a little bitterly.

And it seems like the bunch of drugs and alcohol cursing inside their bodies are enough to let them say it without any preamble.

" _The Sapphic Room,_ " Quinn mumbles.

A beat passes.

"That's…that's a _lesbian_ bar,” the smaller brunette comments after a second, shooting a look at Santana, but the latina seems to out of it to even speak.

She looks back at Quinn, who is playing hard to stare at her, but then the blonde speaks. "You know it?" 

Clearing her throat, Rachel answers as the intense stare of the blonde beauty washes over her, making her if not a little self-conscious, her cheeks bright red. "My friends at NYADA had told me about it - I have thought about going, but haven't had the opportunity of doing so,” she admits quietly.

Santana chuckles drunkenly, making her look at her.

"But you like _men_." 

Rachel sighs, scratching her ear as her blush deepens, but it's more embarrassment about the situation than the dig. "It seems like we actually know less about each other that I thought," she comments, feelings a little conflicted, but Quinn's seems to be facing an aneurysm and she takes pity on her as she elaborates further. "Because I'm bisexual.”

A beat passes.

"Nah, you aren't," Santana replies with a laugh.

"But I'm telling you right here that I am," the performer insists with a sigh.

"You can't be," Quinn comments, seeming more awake than before.

"Why would I lie?" Rachel asks, shaking her head as she looks at both girls.

"Shit beats me," the latina comments with a snort.

"Yeah, just like drugs and alcohol, it seems," Rachel comments with a smug smile as she kicks the latina’s leg with her own and watches it slip away until Santana seems ready to fall on the floor.

The latina tries to flip her off, but she seems too wasted or high, to actually maneuver her fingers to do the right sign and she ends up just batting her hand at her.

"You're funny," Quinn comments after a second, she seems the more sober of the duo, which isn't really an achievement as her eyes drop every five seconds.

Rachel tries to not find it endearing, but she has such a soft spot for the blonde, that she just lets her smile slip past her lips as she grins back at her. “And you're really wasted, would you like water or something else?” she offers, standing up from the table. “I got Gatorade back there.”

But instead of just nodding, the blonde stands from her spot with a yawn, she passes a hand through her short hair, before tilting her head to the kitchen.

“I could use some _cool blue_.”

Leading the way, Rachel walks inside the kitchen, clicking the lights and instantly moving to the kettle to put it on and then opening the cabinets. 

Inside different blends and kinds stare back at her, but she just reaches for green for her.

“It's so nice of you to accompany Santana to _The Sapphic room_ ,” she says conversationally, as she gets her favorite mug and settles it next to the stevia on the counter. “Since you aren't even… you know,” Rachel comments, turning around and shooting a look to the blonde, who only frowns back at her.

“Am not what?” 

The small brunette just shrugs as she remembers the offered drink and opens the refrigerator, the cool blue bottle stares back at her and she takes it, closing the door after. 

“You know… _into women_ ,” Rachel comments offhandedly, offering the cold bottle to Quinn, who doesn't take it and just stares at her.

A tense moment washes over them and it is then that it hits Rachel over the head, like a shock.

_“Oh my god.”_

Quinn snatches the bottle away, quickly opening the security plastic as the brunette tries to process the revelation, her hand moving down.

Rachel opens her mouth twice, before she can form a word "But you never…” she comments, shaking her head from side to side, trying to understand the implications of the silence.

“I never what, Rachel?” the blonde inquires, taking a quick sip of the bottle, before putting it down on the table at their right.

But the performer just moves to click off the stove as the kettle whistles, interrupting her own train of thought. 

“You never told me, that's all,” Rachel replies hastily, keeping her back turned to the blonde as she begins to prepare the warm drink. Her hands are used to the movements, but she takes her time doing it since it's too much to just absorb the information and stare at Quinn at the moment.

“Like you told me about yourself?” the blonde replies from behind.

And Rachel just sighs deeply. “It's different,” the performer remarks, turning around, drink in hand, taking deep breaths as she does. “I had my reasons to keep this to myself,” she adds, before sipping the warm drink.

“And I didn’t?” Quinn inquires, her eyes are fire and Rachel tries to not get consumed by it as she sips her beverage and plants her feet firmly on the ground. “Because I had to find out about myself and instantly come to you, Rachel Berry,” she slurs and, evidently, she is still very drunk.

“No I did not say that Quinn, you have just misinterpreted me,” she answers, putting her mug down as the words and thoughts go around her head, she looks back at the blonde, whose eyes aren't as sleepy now, but still hazy. “I just - I would have liked to have known about it sooner, that's all,” Rachel continues with a shrug, resting on the counter with her arms crossed over her chest. “To support you and _stuff.”_

Quinn shrugs, her movements less coordinated than her usual self, but still coordinated for a drunk person.“Well, now you know it,” the blonde says, pointing at herself, before continuing. “I'm a hundred percent into women.”

And, at the moment, Rachel is very glad her cup is down and she had not been drinking from it “Are you saying you are a lesbian, Quinn?” she inquires with a deep frown.

The blonde just snorts. “And I'm the drunk one,” she says, before sipping again the isotonic beverage, not adding anything else.

Reaching for her own drink, Rachel gives it a few sips, her eyes on the blonde, but her thoughts far away from the moment, back to… if she can say it, their time in high school. She doesn't want to necessarily go there, but after the revelation, it seems like she can't help herself and just blurt it out.

“Why did you give me that very expensive _Metro_ pass, Quinn?” Rachel inquires, leaving the mug aside to hug herself as a chill runs down her spine when hazel eyes fall back to her in acknowledgment.

Quinn sets down the bottle on the table, her expression tight. “Because I wanted to remain friends with you, Rachel,” she answers, her lips don't close and it seems like she's about to say something, but then she doesn't.

“But you haven't even tried to visit me,” Rachel counters back, feeling suddenly very small as she speaks, she shrugs unsurely.

The blonde shakes her head, a bitter smile suddenly onto her dazzling face. “Well, did you visit me?” she inquires, stepping closer and the brunette swallows. “Because if I remember well and I must be high or drunk, or both, but it's me who has come here, to you, all this time.”

Rachel tries to speak, but the blonde continues, cutting her off.

“I come here every few weeks,” Quinn says with a glare that is a little unfocused, but just as effective to make her feel intimidated. “Parade around the apartment and never once have you tried to engage me in con-conversation, Rachel,” the blonde remarks with anger.

Her eyes are starting to brim with tears and that's when the second slap hits Rachel in the face, but this one hurts a lot more than the one before because she has finally put together the pieces as Quinn steps even closer and her eyes slip past her eyes looking down her face.

“Why do I have to still like you, Ra-chel?” 

The brunette moves her head, trying to understand, but the more seconds that pass, the more that everything starts to make sense inside her head, until finally, the blonde is closing their distance, their breaths mingling in the middle.

“What-what are you doing?” Rachel inquires nervously as her own eyes slip down the blonde's nose, towards lips that shouldn't look that enticing after a night of drinking, but somehow, they do and she sighs with exasperation at her own foolishness and desire “Quinn, you are fairly drunk-”

“Just shut up.” 

The blonde whispers, before moving to close the gap between their mouths and their noses crash a little too violently, but just the brunette seems to notice as she gasps and Quinn pushes her to the counter, moving her lips across her own, slowly building a dance that is fire under the rain.

“Quinn-” Rachel tries with a murmur, weakly pushing her shoulders away, but the blonde just chases her mouth, before pushing her tongue inside and the brunette wonders if maybe she is dreaming, maybe it has been all a dream because there's absolutely no way she's kissing Quinn Fabray in her kitchen's apartment at maybe 5 in the morning as she is still wearing her pajamas, her hair braided at each side.

But she gasps as hands press on each side of her hips, holding her closer to a warm body and it's then that Rachel can accept this is definitely _not_ a dream.

“Rachel,” the blonde whispers against her mouth and the brunette opens her eyes to catch the dazed look in those hazel eyes, an inebriated look that definitely does not belong to the effects of alcohol or drugs, but just unadulterated _lust._ “I have wanted to do this for _so_ long,” Quinn comments, before kissing her again, this time slowly, just moving her lips to take her bottom lip between her own and bite gently.

And Rachel moans as a tongue chases to soothe the pain, it's more than welcome, in fact, she wouldn't mind if that happened again and, maybe, in other parts of her body- 

“Didn't we had a rule about _fucking_ on the counters?” 

The voice of Santana is a cold splash of water to the moment as both girls move away, instantly facing the latina standing by the entry of the kitchen, she's drinking the Gatorade that Rachel gave to Quinn, a smug smile on her face as she does.

“Don't mind me, I was just coming to get a drink,” she says, lifting the bottle with a mocking smile, before drinking from it again. Santana shoots them a smirk, before turning around and walking off. “Just remember, if you fuck there, I’ll fuck someone in your bed.” 

And Rachel groans loudly as she moves her hands to her face, trying to cool off her cheeks, her eyes evading to look in the direction of the blonde. “I should go back to bed,” she announces with a nod to herself, daring a quick look at her side, but the blonde seems too mortified to even face her a little bit and she nods again. “Yeah, I'll just go - goodnight, Quinn.”

“Goodnight, Rachel.” Comes the reply.

And both seem entirely too distracted by the situation at their hands to realize that the sun is rising by the window and it's no longer dark outside.

Rachel goes to sleep with the sweet memory of lips that take her breath away and hands that are as firm as they are gentle.

A whole hour passes before she can even fall asleep.

* * *

By the morning, Rachel is cautious to step out of her room, her eyes move from side to side scanning the view for any sight of Santana, or worse, Quinn, but the coast seems fairly clear and she skips towards the bathroom.

She turns the doorknob and grins with triumph as the door opens.

That is until the face of the blonde appears just in her line of vision, both coming face to face with the other.

“Rachel,” Quinn whispers, moving down the toothbrush from her mouth.

Her face is barred from any trace of makeup, her hair evidently still wet from a shower, she's in sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt and the brunette tries to not stare as she notices that the blonde seems to not be wearing a bra underneath.

“Good morning, Quinn,” she replies, smiling tightly. She clears her throat. “I hope you had a good rest last night,” Rachel continues, biting her tongue after she says it.

“Uh yeah - I did,” the blonde answers awkwardly, shaking her head, before starting to rinse her mouth. “After I kicked Santana out of the couch and got more space for myself.” Quinn clarifies with a roll of her eyes.

The brunette threads her brows, crossing her arms over her chest. “If you needed a bigger place to take a good rest, you should have come to my room,” she says, before realizing her words and frowning to herself.

Quinn seems just as aware of the awkwardness of the statement as she just stares for a second, before resuming her rinse. “Anyway, bathrooms all yours,” the blonde says, putting her toothbrush back in place, before trying to move past the brunette, but Rachel can't resist it anymore and holds her arm with her hand, stopping her in place “Rachel?” the girl says questioningly.

“I think we should talk about last night,” Rachel states with a nod, more to herself than anything else, the blonde opens her mouth but she just continues. “Maybe not now as I'm still trying to decipher how is that you maybe gave me the best kiss of my whole life while you were very drunk,” she says seriously and the blonde snorts, but doesn’t do anything to disentangle her arm from the grip or to stop her from talking and the brunette continues with a shaky sigh. “And how is that I'm really interested in seeing what can happen now between us.”

Again, the distance between their bodies gets smaller and Rachel can't help the smile that just like the butterflies on her stomach stir as Quinn brings her closer with her eyes focused, clear, sharp, and bright.

“The best kiss of your whole life you say?” the blonde teases with a nervous tilt in her voice that makes the brunette almost melt right there as her heart beats louder, her cheeks turning red.

“Mayhaps, the best,” Rachel stresses with a sly smile, she knows she hasn't brushed her teeth, but hazel eyes are moving down her face and poised onto her lips and she laughs nervously, making the eyes move up back again. “You were fairly out of it, to be fair.” 

But instead of stepping back or fighting the statement, Quinn just shakes her head, speaking softly. “And I meant absolutely every moment of it,” the blonde affirms, her golden eyes making Rachel all too aware of the desire that has spiked up through her body yet again.

_“Fuck, I thought you said no shower sex if someone needs to use the bathroom.”_

And, of course, Santana has to appear again to break the spell of their moment, but, luckily for them, this time Rachel isn't as shocked and just pushes the door closed, until they are alone inside the enclosed space, just staring at each other.

“What now?” Quinn asks, a tremor evident in her voice. Her whole posture shows how open she is and it's the most beautiful sight the brunette has seen, even if they are inside the bathroom and their friend has started to bang her fists on the door.

But Rachel just shrugs. “Technically, I still have to brush my teeth,” she says with a cheeky smile, not hiding how much she wants to kiss the blonde again as her brown eyes move down to gaze at the lips of the blonde.

It seems like the action is enough to break the awkwardness and the last barrier.

 _“Fuck it,”_ Rachel whispers harshly, before putting a hand behind Quinn’s head and crushing their lips together again, mouths moving one over the other as they kiss. Their bodies becoming one in movements as their hands grasp necks and hair and they breathe shakily through kisses.

They move until Rachel's back is against the wall and Quinn has a hand under her thigh, ready to lift it to her hip.

“Wait-” Quinn murmurs, breaking away, her cheeks are flushed and her eyes hazy, her whole body speaking the language of sex and Rachel bites her bottom lip as the blonde breaths shakily, just nodding at her to elaborate. “Before we go further - do you wanna go out with me?”

_“Yes, she wants to! Now, get the fuck outta the bathroom, Fabgay!”_

“I would love to!” Rachel replies with an eager nod as she moves to peck the blonde’s lips once, twice and then again, just because she can and it feels amazing. “Actually, nothing would make me happier than that,” she adds, resting their foreheads together as she speaks. “I've been wanting to do this for years,” she confesses with a giggle.

“Years?” Quinn inquires, moving back and shooting her a confused look, her arms still holding her up.

Shrugging, a blush rising to her cheeks, suddenly feeling shy, Rachel says. “Or something like that,” she comments, trying to disentangle herself from the girl.

But the blonde takes her chin, moving to look at her in the eye and she stops moving.

“If that's true,” Quinn affirms, her expression one of adoration that leaves her almost breathless. “Then it's only fair to confess I've been wanting to kiss you since sophomore year." 

Rachel opens her mouth in shock. "No way." 

"Way," Quinn comments, shaking her head. The way her smile lights up her entire face, _god,_ Rachel just wants to call her hers already. "Now," the blonde says, clearing her throat. "You'll brush your teeth, not because your breath smells or anything, but because it's what you came here to do," she says, stepping back and the way her body seems to already miss the contact seems ridiculous "And I'll go prepare breakfast"

"Okay," Rachel accepts with a nod. "That sounds fair." 

"It is fair," the blonde agrees, moving to open the door, but before she fully does, she moves to steal a kiss from Rachel, leaving her sighing with happiness against the wall, with her eyes closed "One for the road," Quinn comments cockily.

"Leave before I change my mind and break a rule," Rachel warns with a laugh, shaking her head as she pushes the girl outside.

"Finally!" Santana says as Quinn steps outside, but Rachel just closes the door again, leaving the latina out. 

_"Fuck you, Berry! I helped you two get together and that's how you pay me!"_

_"Leave her alone."_

Rachel moves to take her toothbrush. An endless smile displays on her face as she begins to squeeze toothpaste onto it. The conversation from outside reaches her ears.

_"Fuck you too, Fabray, you aren't my boss, you aren't no one boss, you bottom ass bitch"_

And it could be an entire day of listening to Santana insulting everyone in the apartment, but Rachel wouldn’t change it for anything as she washes her teeth and thinks about her future ahead with Quinn.

Maybe they can go to _The Sapphic Room_ together someday…as girlfriends.

Her smile gets wider as she pictures it, only 12 hours ago she couldn't even think about Quinn without feeling a big sense of loss inside her heart.

Now, she's always smiling.

_"Leave me alone, S, I'm trying to make breakfast for my girl- Rachel"_

_Oh,_ she can't stop smiling about it _._

* * *

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> and? it was little, but hope you liked it.


End file.
